Tips For Looking Fashionable On a Budget

Some of us love to shop and others not so much, but we‘ve all got to wear clothes. Why not look great while not breaking the bank? Here are tips to getting the fashion wardrobe you want while staying on your budget.

1. What type of fashion do you REALLY want?

If you had a $100 a month to spend on clothes, are you the person who would want 10 ten dollar tops from Target or would you want one lovely sweater from Neiman Marcus?

Either way works, but I find that most people really want the nice top that is more expensive, but instead buy the inexpensive clothes because they see them while shopping and throw them into the cart.

Or if you are like me, you find something you really love but don’t buy it because it is too pricey and then end up buying more things that you like less. In my perfect scenario, I’d resist the impulse cheap buys and make a plan to buy the nicer things when I’m out.

Think on it a minute and decide if all was a perfect world, how would I dress?

2. Review what you have

People tend to accumulate and accumulate and hold on to things that are never or rarely used. Take some time and face your closet. First, see the big picture.

Do you have a ton of blue things, but no red?

What about having 100 t-shirts but no date-worthy clothes?

What about shoes?

Are they all sandals?

Tennis shoes?

Do you have pants you never wear because they need ironing?

You’ve already decided how you want your wardrobe to look, so start going through and finding what fits your vision and what doesn’t.

I took an afternoon and tried everything on. If I didn’t like it, I put it in a pile. I got rid of things I kept needing to lose a few pounds for and tossed items I’d had in my closet for years but never wore. This gave me a good idea of what I had and what I liked.

Take the pile of things you don’t wear or use and…

3. Sell, trade or toss

If you have nice things you don’t wear or use, consider selling them.

I’ve auctioned off a few purses on Ebay. I’ve sold workout clothes I never liked in my local Facebook neighborhood sale group. The purses made me a pretty penny. The workout clothes did not make nearly as much, but I had more money in my pocket afterward. I sent a few dresses to a friend and donated the rest.

Now that you’ve cleaned house and made a few bucks you can see what you are missing!

4. Shop the classics

Write down the fashion items that would make up your dream wardrobe. A small closet full of quality clothes that actually fit make you look so much better than a huge closet full of cheap, old, ill-fitting items ever will.

Need help on what you want to buy? Stick to classic items and embellish with the trends.

For example, for a woman, a classic might be a beautiful black dress, and the trend would be an infinity scarf and statement earrings.

For a guy, a great fitting pair of pants and a no-wrinkle shirt matched with a vest or a bow tie embellishment.

The classic look depends on your style. I mostly prefer to think of the classics as items that you wear all the time. Items that can last a thousand washings. Items that really pull a lot of your wardrobe together.

For me, high quality, dark skinny jeans is a classic. I can dress it up for a night out or down for chilling with friends. Another classic for me is brown leather knee boots that I’ve worn all over the world, rain or shine. The jeans and the boots were a bit pricey, but they’ve lasted for years, and I love them.

What are your classics?

The best way to be fashionable on less money is actually to buy fewer things. Scale down and focus on what you really love.

20 tops that can go with 10 pants and 5 shorts and 2 skirts will give you** 340 outfits**.

That might never happen, but reaching for fewer things you love that can go together will make your choices explode. Looking at colors that coordinate among your wardrobe also expands it.